Return

Hearing them making a report about my sister made me agitated. All of them still kneeling but trembling scared "We... We...". "You just kidnap my only sister!?" I said to them while put pressure on my words.

"No. Master. We escort her while fulfilling her every need along the way. No one following us or ask anything. It's a perfect escort mission." He said correcting his answer.

"Fine, all of you pray nothing happened to her." I said while leaving them. Since I know the way back, I can dash to the capital faster than a carriage.

While Lily's men all slumped down after all the tension is released. I dash as fast as I could toward the capital. Surprisingly it took me around a few hours to reach the capital.

I put reporting to the guild later and went to George and Aine's place. I stand in front of their door and knock with worried on my face.

The door then opened by Aine while I could hear a girl laughing sweetly. Aine opened the door while I could see the living room where George just carry Gabriel on his hand. "Ara~ Arthur. Come in. You seem surprised." Aine said covering her amused smile.

My face turned blank, the same with the girl after looked at me, she had golden hair with the same blue eyes. George put her on the floor and she started running toward me "Onii-chaann~" She run and tripped.

I catch her before she fell "Gabriel, how can you be here? No, I will ask Lily. Have you been good this day?" I ask her. She nodded cutely "I want to live with Onii-chan."

"Hah~ Fine. You will leave with me from now on. Okay?" I said while rubbing her hair. "George, Aine. Can I entrust her for a while? I need to do something." I said while putting her down.

She quickly grabbed on to my pants "No, I will go with Onii-chan. You promise." She said pouting. "You better take her, Arthur. She had been with us for 4 days. She asked about you all the time." George said explaining.

"You want to come with me, Gabriel?" I said looking at her. She nodded and we start to go out of the house "Thank you George, Aine. I will send some gifts later. Hehe.." I said after getting out of the house.

Both me and Gabriel now stand outside the house "Now, I need to report my return first. Do you want to come?" I said holding her hand.

After a few minutes, I'm back toward the adventure guild. Both of us went inside hand on hand. Rita looked surprised but still got a lot of work. Gabriel then looked scared and hide behind my leg, so I pick her up and she started to hide her face from looking. "It's okay, Gabriel. No one will hurt you here." I said to ease her but didn't work.

I carry her while coming to the 2nd floor toward Kieth's office room. I knock on the door when I heard him said behind the door "Come in.".

"Yo, old man. I'm back." I said after getting inside. In the room, there's only Kieth with a big stack of paper. "Ugh... You're back brat. I'm at a pinch here. Just say what you want and leave." He said holding his head.

"Nothing, just reporting in." I said to him and leave. Outside the room, I met Lynna "Ara~ You finally came back. Quick, we don't have much time." She said while dragging me to her house. "Use my bathroom and dress up nicely. I will take care of this little princess of yours." Lynna said to me.

Not questioning anything, I use the shower since I felt sticky after so long inside the dungeon. After done with the shower, I ask her "Something happen today?" while picking Gabriel back to me. Gabriel got a change of clothes in a blue dress. She looked cute.

"Today is Arlette's birthday. You're lucky to come home on time. Elise and Arlette already went to the palace to prepare. If you still haven't come home, I don't know what will happen to you. Ufufu~" She said and pick Kieth up from the guild.

I wait inside the carriage with Gabriel. "Oh, my sister looked great.". She smiled and sit on my lap. Not long Lynna and Kieth already get inside the carriage and we went to the palace.

"So, Old man. I forgot to ask, how long am I gone?" I said to Kieth. "Umm... How long again? 1 week and 6 days, I think." He said after thinking for a while. "Arlette and Elise come to the guild every day, you know. They are looking for you." Lynna said following Kieth.

"Yeah, I do owe them a sorry but still I don't know that I had been gone that long, No wonder it's already her birthday. It's surprised me for sure." I said while hugging my little sister.

Arrive at the castle, Lynna give the guard the invitation. "You better use your identity as a hero for a surprise, of course, Ufufu~. I will tell the news only to Leon and Edlyn." Lynna said leaving me and Gabriel with Kieth.

I just follow along and being escorted toward the other hero room. "Yo, Yatanagi. How are you been?" I said while entering the room.

"Ah, Arthur-san. I'm good. Hmm? Who is she?" Yatanagi realized about Gabriel. I put Gabriel down for her to introduce herself "Gabriel, from now use Veltis for your name, not Kursvelt okay?" I whisper to her.

She's a bright girl and understood what I said. "Nice to meet you, I'm Gabriel Veltis. I'm 4 years old." She said in a polite manner.

"You never told me that you have a sister. Is she?" Yatanagi asked with his cue. "No, she isn't. She's about to turn 5. We leave her at our uncle's family for her education but something happened and here she is." I said to him.

We about to talk much more but it looked like the party already starting. A maid came knocking on our door "Hero-sama, please. This way.".

We start walking to the banquet hall which bustling with people. I notice now that Rime also stole a glance at me like Iseri. 'What are they doing?' I thought when looking at them.

Putting it behind my mind, I said to my sister "Now, We will meet a beautiful onee-chan. Later you introduce yourself okay?" I said crouching to look at her. She nodded with her usual smile.

Behind the door, Leon already started the event "Thank you all for coming to my daughter's birthday. To make it more special, I already invite the people that will save us in the future when fighting demons. Let's greet them, Heroes from another world." He said while the door in front of us open wide.

I stand behind them while Yatanagi, Hitani and the other open the crowd. I carry Gabriel on my embrace while she held on to my face "Have you found the beautiful onee-chan?" I ask Gabriel.

I could see Arlette and Elise's sad smile at the front beside Leon and Edlyn. Their parents just smiling, they already notice me when I get inside.

Gabriel shook her head while looking around with her curious face. I brought her even higher, I put her on my shoulder "Have you found her? Onee-chan had blue hair and brown hair." I gave her some clue.

With her being brought that high. Her golden hair stood out too much. Arlette and Elise quickly snap on her, after looking at her golden hair. Both of them focus their sight on her golden hair.

Gabriel also noticed both of them since I face my body toward Arlette and Elise at the front. "Onii-chan, I found them. The beautiful onee-chan is there." She said while tapping on my head and pointing toward Arlette and Elise.

Arlette and Elise being pointed out by Gabriel become intrigued even more. Not only because of her golden hair but her cute conduct.

"Alright, stop that Gabriel. Do you want to meet them?" I said while she grabbed my hair to avoid falling. "Yes, take me there, Onii-chan. I want to introduce myself." She said cheerfully.

I put her down from my shoulder and let her walk there. Even though I felt a little hurt when she grabbed on my hair refusing to go down, eventually she gave up and walk there then running.

I help her open the path, she broke out of the crowd alone. She met with a few stairs to get into Leon and Edlyn, some guard wanted to stop her but I pour my mana on them. Making them stop disturbing my sister.

Gabriel watched Arlette and Elise from up close. Her eyes glimmer with admiration. "Onee-chan, you look really beautiful." Gabriel blurted without thinking.

"You also look beautiful, little girl." Arlette said while looking at her. "Tell this onee-chan, Who are you really? You looked like someone I knew." Arlette said while Elise keep observing Gabriel.

"Ah, yes." Gabriel started going up the stairs. She tripped and hit her face. Arlette and Elise shocked and about to help her, but she stood up with tears on her eyes. She held her tears and kept climbing the stairs, one by one at a time with her little leg.

Then she finally stood in front of Arlette and Elise "Onee-chan, I'm Gabriel Veltis. Nice to meet you." She said while bowing.

Arlette and Elise startled hearing her said her name "Don't tell me..." Arlette quickly guessed and look at her smile parents.

"Looking for me?" I said coming out from the crowd and standing at the stairs. Arlette and Elise quickly smile more happy than usual but keep their cool, since they stand in front of a lot of people.

Except for Gabriel, she already crying and run to me "Uwaa!! Onii-chan, it hurts." she said grabbing my leg. I pick her up and comfort her "It's ok, which part that hurt?" I said while using light magic to ease her.

"Then, Gabriel. Did you meet the beautiful onee-chan? Have you introduce yourself?" I ask her in my embrace. She nodded while wiping her tears and snot. "Then, do you want to live with the beautiful onee-chan?" I ask her again.

This time she shook her head "I want to live with onii-chan.". "Then, what if Onii-chan also live there?" I said answering her. Now, she nodded her head "Yes, then onee-chan can teach Gabriel how to become beautiful too.". She said cheerfully.

"Hah~, You never told us about your sister, dear." Arlette said walking toward me with Elise. "How can you keep this cute girl away from us?" Elise said while touching Gabriel's cheek. Gabriel felt troubled but let Elise touching it.

"At first, we let her in our uncle's family. She going to study at the capital. Our uncle is in the Duke family, as much as I don't like it. We decided to beg for her to stay there, made her cry for a long time.

When I ran here, I can't let them know my whereabouts, so I ask Lily to made contact with her without telling my identity but who knows that she even kidnapped her here." I said to Arlette.

"Still, even when you are here. Looked like you still feel tired." Arlette said while placing her hand on my cheek. Her smile full of compassion, with sweet eyes. It was the most beautiful smile, I had ever seen from her.

"Let's talk about it later. Your concern is enough for me right now. I can't hide anything from you, can I?" I said holding her hand that touched me.